


You're Gonna Go Far, Kid

by SnowWhiteKnight



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Chris Jericho - Freeform, F/M, Fozzy, River City Rockfest, Rock and Roll, WWE - Freeform, Wrestling fandom, dense potato!Sandor, the offspring - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-06 01:40:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11025936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowWhiteKnight/pseuds/SnowWhiteKnight
Summary: Riverlands Rockfest is an outdoor music festival like no other, featuring 40+ bands, on 5 outdoor stages for a full day of ROCK. Who could miss this?





	You're Gonna Go Far, Kid

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little something inspired by my recent adventure at the River City Rockfest. :)

**Three Months Ago**

"You bought the tickets?" Sandor asked Beric. Beric hadn't even had a chance to take a full breath before Sandor had pounced on him. Not that he minded. It was possibly the biggest event of the year and Sandor was undoubtedly excited. 

Placing his bag on the floor next to the door of their apartment, Beric smiled and said, "Of course. As soon as they went on sale. We have two premium tickets to the Rockfest."

Sandor breathed a sigh of relief, his body slumping over slightly as the stress of waiting left him. "Thank goodness."

Beric chuckled and patted the strong shoulder of his roommate. "No worries, my friend. And I saved even more money by getting a four pack of tickets. Arya and her boyfriend are going to go as well."

Sandor snorted. "Figures. Ah, well, that's cool. Is, uh, is her sister going, too?"

Beric hid his smile at Sandor's obvious interest in the redheaded Stark girl. He'd deny it if anyone asked, but Beric could see it. "Arya didn't say, but she only asked for two tickets."

"Ah. Ok." His disappointment was palpable.

Beric patted Sandor again.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

**Two Days Ago**

"You did what?!" Arya screeched. "Pod!"

"What? What's the big deal?" he asked. "I didn't know you had already gotten tickets with Beric." 

"The big deal is that these tickets cost a lot of money! A LOT!! I can barely afford groceries most weeks, and now you're telling me I wasted my money because you went and bought a ticket with your friends. Ugh!"

"Hey, I'm sure you can find someone to buy that ticket from you. What about Asha or Osha? Rickon? Brienne? Jaime?" Pod hugged his irate girlfriend from behind, his scruff tickling her cheek. It was hard to stay mad at him when he nuzzled her like that.

Arya snorted. "They all got their tickets when I did, and Rickon's not allowed to go, since my parents are so stuffy. There is literally no one in my circle who doesn't already have one."

"Have what?" 

Pod and Arya turned to see Sansa putting groceries on the table. "Tickets to the Rockfest," Arya told her sister bitterly. "I suddenly have an extra one."

"What rock festival?" Sansa asked. Pod let go of Arya to help Sansa put stuff away.

"Uh, Riverlands Rockfest? THE biggest event of the year, maybe even the past TEN years. How have you not heard about this?" Arya asked, but she knew Sansa wasn't into any sort of cool music.

Sansa shrugged. Pod quickly filled her in. "We're getting hotel rooms since it's so far away. It's going to be an epic one day event, lots of bands, lots of fun-- I have a flyer here... There." He handed her a paper and she carefully read it. Arya poked at the groceries while she waited, and found her favorite snack, peanut butter cake bites, and began to munch on them. Sansa had moved in with Arya just last month, to help with Arya's finances as well as to get away from their overprotective parents. 

"Um, I could... I could take the ticket off your hands, if you want," Sansa said quietly. 

Hope sprung anew in Arya's chest. "You sure? It's not really your scene..."

Arya thought she saw a small tic in her sister's cheek, but Sansa gave her a gentle smile. "It could be fun."

 _Must have been my imagination,_ she thought to herself.

 ~*~*~*~*~*~

**The Day Of the Riverlands Rockfest**

 "Ohmigods ohmigods OHMIGODS we're here!" Arya screeched.

"Bugger me with a hot poker," Sandor complained, covering his ears. "It's too fucking early for this shit. If I'm going to go deaf today, I'd rather it be from the music instead of your banshee howls." They had gotten past the gates and were waiting at the pavilion for their other friends to show up.

Arya glared at him like she was ready to punch him, but he saw the little bird stifle a laugh, and that was good enough for him. It was worth being murdered by a crazy wolf-bitch so long as the woman he was in love with was smiling.

"Now, now, children, let's behave," Beric said. "I know we all want to see different bands, so let's discuss this like adults. This spot, next to the creepy clown mouth, will be our meeting spot. When the festival is over, we will meet here to go back to the hotel. Sansa, since this really isn't your crowd, I think it would best if you stay with one of us at all times."

Sansa gave Beric a smile, but only Sandor seemed to notice how tight it was and the fact that it didn't reach her eyes. _Curious._

~*~*~*~*~*~

"So, what bands are you here to see?" she asked him as he paid a shitload for just two waters. Podrick and his friends had shown up, but they were still waiting for Brienne and her idiot boyfriend. Asha and Osha had dropped by already and were long gone, off to hear a more obscure band called Dragonqueen. Asha wanted to seduce the lead singer, and Osha wanted to nail the drummer, preferably at the same time and in the same room. He handed Sansa one of the waters.

"Black Stone Cherry, Buckcherry, Fozzy, Taking Back Sunday, Three Days Grace, Papa Roach, and Offspring." He took a swig of his water. "Maybe Def Leppard, but I'm not that big of a fan and they're going to be packed. You?"

"Didn't you know? This isn't really my scene." He was _not_  imagining that slight hint of bitterness in her voice. 

He raised his good eyebrow at her. "Uh...ok? Wanna talk about why you're here then?"

"Not really."

"Ah. I see." If she didn't want to talk about it, he wasn't about to push her. He had learned that she would talk about things when she was good and ready, and not a second sooner. "So, who are you going to stick with for now then?"

"Oh, um, is it alright if I stay with you? I feel safer doing that." She looked up at him with her big, soulful eyes, there was no way he could say no to her.

"Yeah, that's alright." 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"You know, for this not being your scene, you certainly look the part." He looked at her from head to toe. Her hair was in two pigtails, with black shoelaces tied in neat bows, and she was wearing a white shirt with a drawing of a hand on it, along with odd symbols that no gods fearing person would be caught dead wearing. The shirt had been altered, cut along the sleeves and ribbon added in an X pattern to show off her pale, creamy arms. She also wore black leggings that were tucked into her high top shoes. A mesh panel on the leggings gave him a hint of the skin underneath.

Sansa blushed adorably. "Oh, well, I figured I should blend in. I researched the fashion style, um, then found a suitable shirt, altered it, and...ta-da."

"So, you don't know what that shirt is about?"

She blushed harder. "I didn't realize there would be a quiz..."

He laughed. "Not quizzing you. Just curious. It's an unusual shirt, even within the fandom it belongs to. If I knew you were a fan, I would say that's a pretty hardcore shirt."

"Oh. Well, I'm...I'm not the type of person for this fandom either, am I?" She was clearly dodging the issue. 

"Dunno. You like what you like, doesn't matter the type of person you are. I'm not about to tell you that you can't like something just because you don't fit the supposed norm." She stayed so silent, he had to look down to make sure she hadn't wandered off. "Anyway, Black Stone Cherry is up soon. Let's go." She nodded and followed him to the designated stage.

~*~*~*~*~*~

He wasn't imagining it. Sansa didn't just like this music. She _loved_ it. She was sitting on his shoulders as they waited for Fozzy to take the stage, chanting along with the rest of the crowd. _Fozzy, Fozzy, Fozzy!_ And as soon as the first few notes of their new song Judas began, she was singing along, head banging in time to the music. The lead singer, Chris Jericho, pointed at her as he sang, and she sang right along with him, pointing back at him. _You are beautiful on the inside. You are innocence personified._

She knew every word, every note. If he wasn't already in love with her, he would have been in that moment. She hasn't been as familiar with the two Cherry bands, but Fozzy... 

"You're a fan of Alister Black, aren't you?" 

She looked around in a panic. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You. Are. Lying," he said with a certain amount of glee, leaning in close. "C'mon, little bird, this is me you're talking to."

"I, um..." She wasn't backing away from him, though she had plenty of room. "To tell the truth, yes, I--"

"Hey, you two," a guy standing on the other side of some barricades called out. "Come over here." Sandor shrugged and walked over to him, Sansa close behind him. "Wanna meet Fozzy?"

Sansa's mouth dropped open in surprise. "Oh my goodness! Can we?!"

The guy grinned. "Yeah, here." He handed them each a laminated pass. VIP. "Chris was impressed by your performance in the crowd. Come on in." He led them to a tour bus parked around the building. It was surreal, meeting his hero and wrestling icon turned singer, Chris Jericho, as well as Rich Ward, Frank Fontsere, Billy Grey, and Paul Di Leo. Sansa was gushing on and on about how much she loved their music and how it lead to her getting into wrestling. 

"I was so bummed when you lost the Westerosi Title. You were a better champion, in my humble opinion, than Kevin Owens currently is. Do you think you'll be back in the ring after the tour?" she asked Chris.

"You know, I'm not sure yet. But if a sweetheart like you wants me to come back, I'll make sure I try my damnedest to get back there. Kevin, psht. He's got a beating waiting for him when I finally do make it back." Chris gave her a smile as he cracked his knuckles. She giggled. Sandor was a little jealous, but how could he compete with Chris Jericho of all people? "I really liked how you got into all the songs we did, which is why I got you these passes. I'll be around, away from the general crowd, but you now have free access to all the VIP areas, and if you see me, feel free to come chat." Chris took Sansa's hand and kissed her knuckles. "Cheer for me when I take on Owens again," he said with a wink, and left.

Sandor guided a starstruck Sansa back out to the main area. "That was so fuckin' cool," he said. 

"I met Fozzy... I met  _Chris Jericho!"_ Sansa squealed, dancing around in a circle. She grabbed Sandor's hand. "I don't care what else happens today, this is already the best day ever!"

Sandor smiled. "Couldn't agree more."

~*~*~*~*~*~

The other bands Sandor wanted to see were only somewhat on Sansa's radar. She enjoyed herself, singing along to the songs she recognized from the radio. "I didn't realize this was  _that_ band," she said, referring to Papa Roach. "I like them! Totally going to have to add them to my Spotify list now."

"I'm going to have to follow you on there now, just so I can see what you like," Sandor said as nonchalantly as possible. Sansa nodded in agreement. "I guess...you can follow me back as well?"

"Of course! I would have sooner, but..." She looked around. Arya, Pod, Lommy and Mycah were heading towards them. "I was embarrassed. Arya has no idea. Pod does. He specifically 'ignored' Arya getting him a ticket, just so there would be an extra one for me. He's going to be the best brother-in-law ever."

"You gonna tell her? About your love of rock, I mean?" Sandor asked.

"Yeah...just...how do I say it?"

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. Just say it. No beating around the bush."

"Who's beating what bush now?" Arya asked. "Hey Sanny, how ya doin'? Hanging in there?"

"Yes. Um, Arya?"

"Sup?" Arya plopped down on the grassy area Sandor and Sansa had managed to snag. Pod was buying more water for everyone while Lommy was trying to convince Mycah to buy some beer for them.

"I... I love this music."

"Oh? It's really good, isn't it? So different from your usual pop--"

"No, no," Sansa said quickly. "I mean... I  _love_ this music. As in, before I came here. I am a huge fan of Fozzy, and Shinedown, and Offspring, and there's a few international rock groups I really enjoy... I just... I know I look like I listen to the modern hits station, but I regularly listen to WinterRock 99.5, and I really, really,  _really_ wanted to come to this, but I was afraid of telling you..."

The wolf-bitch was stunned. "You're shitting me..."

"I am not!" Sansa said indignantly. "I'll prove it. The Offspring starts playing in an hour. I will be in the front, singing along to  _every_ song, just like the lead singer, Dexter."

"Sansa," Arya said gently, "Do you realize how many songs they have? They've been around for years and years, there's no way you could know every song on their list--"

"I do and I will," Sansa insisted. Sandor put his hand on her shoulder, trying to reassure her. "I will," she repeated softly, more to herself than anyone else.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Arya had gone to see Godsmack, but came back in time for The Offspring's first song. The stage lights were slowly turning off as they got ready to begin. "You sure about this?" Arya asked Sansa.

"Yep. I got this." They hadn't managed to get to the front like she wanted, but Sansa was sitting on Sandor's shoulders again, and Arya was on Pod's. There was still a major height difference, but Sansa was determined.

The music started low, almost like a fading echo.  _Show me... Show me... Show me..._ Then, as the lights went full blast, Sansa and Dexter sang in perfect unison, _"Show me how to lie, you're getting better all the time, and turning all against the one is an art that's hard to teach. Another clever word sets off an unsuspecting herd and as you get back into line, a mob jumps to their feet."_ Sansa was really getting into it. _"Now dance, fucker, dance, man, he never had a chance, and no one even knew it was really only you."_  

Sandor laughed at the complete and utter shock on Arya's face. It took her half the song to recover, and by that point, Sansa was headbanging as well as any of the others in the crowd around them. True to her word, she sang each and every song perfectly, even getting the pitch right on the little wail Dexter was known to do in his singing.

By the time the band was done, everyone in the group was laughing and having a great time. "Ohmigods, I can't believe you were able to do it!" Arya exclaimed, hugging her sister. "Why were you hiding this?!"

"Well..." Sansa shuffled her feet as she looked down at the ground. "The thing is..."

"Babe," Pod said, "You can be a bit judgmental when it comes to music. You still haven't forgiven me for liking Blake Shelton."

"He's country!" Arya said, attempting a defense.

"And he's got great skill," Sandor pointed out. "Good voice, too."

Arya growled at him, but Pod just laughed. "We're just pointing out, it's understandable that Sansa didn't want to tell you, considering how opinionated you get, plus with everyone assuming she's a fangirl for One Direction... You get the idea."

"I do like a few of their songs," Sansa admitted. "But... I prefer Back In Black by AC/DC to any of One Direction's songs." 

"Man...ok. So, this is going to take some getting used to. Anything else you feel the need to get off your chest?"

"Uh, well, that's..." Sansa took a deep breath.  _"IwantSandortoaskmeoutonadate."_  

"Say that again, because it sounded like you want to date this asshole," Arya said, pointing at Sandor, who was just as surprised.

"Um...I do...I mean, if he wants to..." she said softly, touching his hand with her delicate fingers, then lacing them with his. "Do you? Sandor?" Sandor could only nod like an idiot.

"Well...fairly certain all seven hells just froze over," Arya said, dry amusement in her voice as everyone laughed.

**Author's Note:**

> [Judas](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqURPBtGJzg) by Fozzy  
> [You're Gonna Go Far, Kid](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql9-82oV2JE) by The Offspring


End file.
